In their typical construction, motor-driven chain saws include a guide bar around whose peripheral edge a saw chain is rotatingly guided and driven by a motor. Such saw chains are often configured as chipper chains which are composed of drive links, connecting links, and cutting links and are articulately joined by pivot pins. The drive links have drive projections which engage in a drive sprocket of the motor-driven chain saw in order to be driven thereby. The cutting links each have an upper cutting blade and a depth limiter positioned ahead of the upper cutting blade. As a result of its clearance angle, the upper cutting blade pulls itself into the material to be cut. The leading depth limiter limits excessive penetration of the material to be cut.
Such chipper chains are adapted in their geometric arrangement to the particular cutting task or to the material to be cut, and are also adapted to the available driving power as well as the cutting speed. Even a small mismatch can lead to non-smooth, vibration-exposed operation, clattering and the cut running off at an angle. Large chain saws with saw chains designed for high driving power therefore cannot be easily transferred to smaller motor-driven chain saws. There is, however, a significant demand for small motor-driven chain saws with lower driving power, for example, for hobby applications, fruit farmers, carpenters, arborists, foresters, or the like. In such small motor-driven chain saws with a small driving power, the low saw chain circulating speed promotes the clattering inclination of the saw chain during cutting. On the one hand, such clattering is uncomfortable for the person guiding the saw and, on the other, it further reduces the cutting performance. In addition, the width of the chipper chain cannot be reduced optionally. The smaller kerf width achieved thereby means less volume to be cut and thus a high cutting performance despite limited driving power. At the same time, however, a narrower chain also results in the cut increasingly running off at an angle. Furthermore, the material thickness necessary for fatigue strength limits the possible kerf width.